The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
When grains are harvested they must undergo a drying process before being utilized or stored for seed. As such, companies typically utilize some type of high-capacity continuous-flow grain drying system, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,229 and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0014404, for example, the contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Such systems typically include a vertical tank or other such structure having a hollow interior space through which grains flow. As the grains pass through the tank, hot air generated by one or more high temperature (typically gas) burners is channeled into the main body to dry the grains before they exit the bottom of the structure. Owing to the moisture/humidity present within the tank, such burners must operate at extremely high temperatures to thoroughly dry the wet grain.
Although such systems have been utilized for several years, the use of high temperature gas burners is known to produce tremendous amounts of CO2 emissions which are harmful to the environment and contribute to global warming. Moreover, such burners are inefficient, as the hot air they produce is simply vented out of the top of the structure and in to the surrounding environment. To this end, the use and operation of these burners represents a significant expense to system operators in terms of the amount of energy/fuel needed to continuously power these burners. Finally, owing to the extremely high temperatures produced by the burners, it is not uncommon for the heat distribution within the tank to be uneven and to cause a significant portion of the grain to become burned and/or fractured, thereby reducing the quality of the amount of crop that can be sold at a premium.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide an improved grain dryer system that utilizes one or more energy efficient heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units to dehumidify and dry the grain, thereby alleviating the above noted problems.